Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-03-19

4
slope downward, crossed here and there by danger
Gus coulies, must admit, but mostly pretty fair
ground. Excitement was no name for it. There
the long hunted buffalo were, so near and yet 80
far-and how like the very mischief they did run!
Although we gained on them at every leap, stfil
no one was within a hundred yards OF Them Jim
passed Boyd and then did. BY that time Old
Brownie was getting warmed up and gave him
smart touch with the spur. The old fellow enterea
heartily into the spirit Of the chase / couldd
plainly feel and his superior speed seemed certain
| 70 bring me alongside the herd in a few moments
more.
We leaped ditch-like coulies and sunken spots,
and presently dashed into an immense prairie-dog
town, the terror of galloping horseman. From
the beginning OF the hunt had almost prayed
that might never ma IL necessary to chase buff
| lalo across dog town-and here we were into one
the very frst thing 1t was fully half mile across
| II, and honeycombed with big gaping holes, just
the right size for running horse to set leg in up
TO the knee, snap it Off and throw his rider head
long into the next township. I fairly Shivered
with dread and held myself ready for a tumble
without notice, but we could not AFFORD to slacken
sed IN a e s ea hee Prairie dogs esfk
| If they wished US bad luck for our bad manners;
but we had no time to say 'by your leave" Old
Brownie had all he could do to find solid ground,
but so well did he ''mind his eye" that he never
once stepped into any Of the holes which lay in
ambush for his flying feet
once we came full speed to q coulie which lay
across our course, which was dangerously wide
ana deep. i thought OF broken bones and the
effort the Old horse gathered himself for ire
mendOuS leap, rose high above the chasm, cleared
| IL, landed safely on the other side and kept on.
The buffalo reached the creek q hundred yards
ahead OF me- and went over the steep bank pell
NELL IN a way that would have broken our horses
legs and d our own nesks AS Jim and pulled
away nc them as they came up on the opposite
side, good rifle shot away. We must have hit
then noticed that an immense old bull had left
the herd and gone OIL alone up the creek, wounded
by Jim, so while Jim was still firing mounted and
ran him a mile and halt. but the ground was
SO BAD and he took advantage OF 1t so well, could
shot. He gradually described an immense semi.
circle TO the left, and then Jim went straight for
him. This manBuvre placed him ahead Of me in
a cow, which had also left the herd, and was hit
pretty hard. 1 think she was the one fired at
lying down. She ran for the bad lands, back to-
ward the buttes, but easily cut In ahead of her
and got good shot, which nearly brought her
down. hundred yards farther 1 rode UP close
and gave her bail through the lungs, which
Presently Jim joined me, all smiles and perspira-
tlor, gieefuly claiming the s. had offered as
present TO the slayer OF the first old bull buffalo.
He had got the old patriarch,-chased him into the
head OF Il frghtful ravine, whence he could not get
ouC, and broke his back Cruel hunter that he was,
he had left him alive that could sketch him II
L wanted to! was hOrriIied, and we at once set
out TO ride TO him and put him out OF his misery.
We started 10 take short out, and when half way
there up jumped two splendid old bulls from be-
lnd cut bank where they had been hiding In the
bottom OF coulie. 1t wasa tremendous surprise.
nred from my horse at the one On my side,
and Jim jumped down and fired from the
ground. his horse boted instantly and he called
10 NE 70 20 and catch IL but being more eager to
him my horse To ride after his, while got in two
capital shots at 200 yards. saw plainly that one
OF my shots had broken the left fore leg OF my buf-
falO, close TO the shoulder and said to myself,
You're my meat!" But he did not fall. just then
Jim galloped up and handed me the reins Of my
horse, saying hurriedly,
You take the one on the right, and I'll take the
otner and instantly galloped of.
rerdllon! he had chosen my buffalo! But
there was no time for talk. so set spurs and
gailoped after the unwounded bull, who was then
4 long way on, and going faster every minute. In
about three hundred yarOs Jim easily Overhauled
my bull, shot him through the lungs and killed
MN. 1 chased the other FOR two miles, but by
that time my horse was tired ou,, and as the
Duliao was long ways ahead OF me- and going
toward the sinking sun, had 10 give him up.
While was slowly riding back to meet Jim, he
moralized condition. and Killed him with a neat
shot through the heart. Then we rode on to the
one with the broken back, and found him just
was! felt that had never before seen a really
first class buffalo. Such an enormous head, with
wayy black hair on It a loot long, such a lofty
massive proportions OF body and limb, and finally,
such spirit belong only to the grandest
old monster was savage He rose on his
fore legs. and with u mighty effort struggled TO
refused to obey lin ut last, and left him Il help
less. hopeless prisoner in the hands OF his enemies
But there was no pleading in his eyes, not bit OF
i'll They glared defiance and hatred. Could he
out nave got one blow at either OF US with one OF
those glossy black horns, he would have got even
with US for ali time.
j never saw a wounded animal in a greater rage
Iquickly pulled OGt memorandum book and
made haSty outline OF the Old monarch as he
rdsed himself on his fore legs and gared defiance
But II was soon DONE for thought every moment
OF that broken back At Jm's bidding sent
ball through the heart or the mighty beast and
ended his troubles forever.
BY the time we had d;semboweled three OF our
buffalo 10 save the meat from spelling, the sun
two miles from home, horses jaded, ana all OF us
thirsty as could be. Boyd and Russell had gone
after the herd, which ran toward camp for some
distance. and we saw them no more. We st arted
for camp at once. The sun went down. O cold raw
wind Sprang up, it was cloudy and pitch dark, and
we got lost In those bad grounds There is not
Time 10 tell how We wandered OH our cOurSe-aI.
most gave up To "ay out" on Our saddle blankets
without food or water, but finally found land
and got TO camp about ten O'Clock. We had
ridden not less than sixty miles that
day-and didn't MacG's grub taste good!
oh, no, not at all. The other boys Killed no
buffalo that day, so jim and / carried OFF the
h0norS- The next day we went over to the dead
buffalo with the wagon, and the day after that
while was doing the '1Skinning act" the three
cowboys fell in with four buffalo out OF that same
bunch and killed them all
They were 50 near ! heard every one of their
shots, and even saw part OF the chase; but Russell
was riding my brown horse that day and there be-
Ing no other at hand had TO listen to all that
firing while hacked away at skins and bones
Oh, ye hunters! Imagine my feelings, II you cant
am poweriess to describe them.